$100 Film Festival

Photo: 100dollarfilmfestival.org

The $100 Film Festival is an annual independent film festival held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was established in 1992 by the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF), a non-profit organization that supports the city’s film community through mentorship, workshops, equipment rentals, production assistance, and other resources.

The $100 Film Festival originated as a challenge for local independent filmmakers. Participants were required to make a low-budget film using four rolls of Super 8 film – which tallied to the cost of $100. The first edition of the $100 Film Fest showcased eight films shot specifically for the festival.

Over the years, the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers changed the rules, dropping the $100 budgetary limit and allowing participants to work with 16mm film. The focus of the festival shifted from low budget to quality small-format films, but the name remained the same because the event still strives to embody the spirit of low-budget independent filmmaking. Its motto is “Small format. Big vision”.

Today the $100 Film Festival is an international showcase of films in all genres by independent filmmakers who enjoy working with traditional film and strive to keep the practice of celluloid filmmaking alive. It is the longest-running film festival in Calgary and one of only a handful of festivals in the world that screen films exclusively on Super 8mm and 16mm celluloid.

The festival is open to short films that are finished to Super 8 or 16mm films. Entries should be no more than 22 minutes long. Preference is given to innovative and thought provoking works. There are no theme or genre restrictions.

Alongside film screenings, the program of the festival includes art exhibitions, installations, commission projects, and other special events. The $100 Film Festival runs for three days in February, attracting filmmakers and film lovers from all over Alberta as well as from other parts of Canada and abroad.